Stories from 21 March 2011
Video: Time Lapse Mapping the Global Protests and Uprisings
John Caelan from the website The Swamp Post has created a couple of time-lapse videos that map protests from December 18 to March 7, 2011, where the protests and uprisings can be seen spreading out into different countries.
Russia: Human Bots Fight Opposition
As Internet control becomes more and more sophisticated, new techniques join the arsenal of online deception and discreditation. Vadim Isakov analyzed the phenomena of 'human bots,' paid commenters willing to turn any constructive conversation into the mess.
Yemen: Game Over for Ali Abdullah Saleh?
Yemen is witnessing mass defections from the Army's top brass, officials, members of Parliament and Ambassadors - who are declaring their support to their country's people's and youth revolution. Is this the beginning of the end of Saleh's regime?
Bahrain: Expats’ Part to Play
Like all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) member states, Bahrain depends greatly on foreign workforce especially from South Asian countries in both high and low level jobs. According to the Bahrain 2010 census, the expat community makes a slight majority with 51 per cent of Bahrain's 1.2 million strong population. An Indian expatriate shares her thoughts in this post.
Colombia: A Medellín Rapper on Colombian Hip Hop
Albeiro Rodas writes about hip hop in Colombia: “In the last decade, Colombian hip hop is developing among young people of the poor barrios as a way of expression. I met Mcleoud, a Medellín rapper who talked to me about this music culture in the country.”
Latin America: Website Tracks Progress in Electronic Voting
Juan Arellano in Globalizado [es] writes about the Observatorio del Voto-E en Latinoamérica (Observatory of E-Voting in Latin America) which seeks to track the progress of electronic voting in Latin American countries.
Australia: Mixed Reactions to Libya Intervention
Read some of the early reactions in the Australian blogosphere to the Libya No-Fly Zone and intervention. The Australian government has been a strong supporter of the UN resolution which authorized the military intervention in Libya.
Cuba: About Gadaffi
“I am ashamed that my country is anxious to defend Gadaffi”: Iván's File Cabinet says that “there is no justification for being friends with such characters” and points fingers at several factions that he thinks deserves the blame.
Zambia: Opposition Leader Risks His Political Neck Over Gays
Leader of Zambia’s biggest opposition party, the Patriotic Front, Michael Sata is in political hot water because of an interview he allegedly gave to a Danish newspaper in which he stated that Zambian laws in fact recognise homosexuality.
Trinidad & Tobago: Soca Stars on Twitter
Outlish has a list of the Top 20 Soca Stars to follow on Twitter.
Barbados, Turks & Caicos: Corruption Charges
As the brother of a former Turks and Caicos Finance Minister is arrested on allegations of fraud and money laundering, Barbados Free Press says: “In Barbados when elected or appointed public officials or their family members are found to be engaged in corrupt activities, the politicians will trade some insults...
Jamaica: Legal Wrangling
“The cross-examination of…Minister of Justice and Attorney-General [in the Manatt Dudus Enquiry] continued this week”: Jamaica and the World says, “It was excruciating to watch.”
Mexico: U.S. Drones Gather Intelligence on Drug Cartels
A story first reported on March 15 by The New York Times has garnered strong responses from Mexican netizens based at home and abroad. Citing American and Mexican officials, the paper reported that "the Obama administration has begun sending drones deep into Mexican territory to gather intelligence that helps locate major traffickers and follow their networks."
Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago: On Nuclear Power
Guyana-Gyal just doesn't get “the benefits of nuclear power”, while Coffeewallah says: “The nuclear crisis has huge long term implications for the future use of nuclear power world-wide.”
Nigeria's Golden Opportunity for a Social Revolution Through the Ballot Box
Oluniyi D. Ajao speaks with ‘Gbenga Sesan about his involvements with several non-partisan initiatives around the forth-coming 2011 Nigeria General Elections and the role of social media in the general elections. ‘Gbenga runs a social enterprise called Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, which connects Nigerian youth with ICT-enabled opportunities.
France: Worry and Hope in the Japanese Community
In France as elsewhere, the terrifying pictures of the tsunami and earthquake have had Japanese expatriates worried by the magnitude of the disaster. Many of them spent all day on Friday, March 11, 2011, trying to contact their loved ones through the Internet, and since then have been working to bring their compatriots some emotional relief.
Russia: First Candidates for the ‘Net Parliament’
Novaya Gazeta website publishes [ru] the first results of the nominations for the ‘Net Parliament,’ the virtual project described by its creators as an ‘organ of the representative power of Russian Internet.’ Among the first hundred of the nominated candidates are mostly Moscow-based bloggers.
Russia: Photos of Saint Patrick's Day Parade in Moscow
Photoblogger Dervishv publishes [ru] extravagant photos of Saint Patrick's Day celebration: all kinds of green, Moscow hipsters, Irish flags… and police (the parade was officially banned). At least, some parts of the police forces were in green uniform.
China: Gaddafi Has to Go
China's official stance is that Libya's Colonel Gaddafi should be reasoned with through dialogue and other peaceful means; not everyone in China agrees. "Annihiliate him," writes China's most widely-read blogger.
Taiwan: The Reassurance of Nuclear Safety is Not Convincing
Following the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, there are calls now for a review of Taiwan’s nuclear energy policy, particularly as a fourth nuclear power plant is now under construction.
Hungary: A Visit To Gyöngyöspata
Activists of IndymediaCalling shared their recent experiences in Gyöngyöspata, a village in northern Hungary that got famous for being ‘occupied’ by members of a far-right paramilitary organization.
